European leaders urged to invest in e-commerce

European leaders have been urged to boost their investment in e-commerce by members of the European Commission. Author: Joe Elvin

European leaders have been urged to boost their investment in e-commerce by members of the European Commission.

In the latest edition of their annual Digital Agenda (DAE) scoreboard, the commission pointed out that there was more than enough demand for e-commerce across the continent to significantly boost the European economy.

According to euroalert.net, the scoreboard estimated that 58 per cent of EU internet users have bought a product using online payment solutions.

However, it was concluded that many European governments weren’t investing enough in their digital infrastructures to fully benefit from the e-commerce boom. Many EU countries were found to be lacking when it came to quality web connections, online content and workers with digital skills.

In an interview with egovmonitor.com, European Commission vice president Neelie Kroes argued that most EU members could improve their economies by improving their digital infrastructure.

He said: “Europeans are hungry for digital technologies and more digital choices, but government and industry are not keeping up with them. This attachment to 20th century policy mindsets and business models is hurting Europe’s economy.

“It’s a terrible shame. We are shooting ourselves in the foot by under-investing. Europe will be flattened by its global competitors if we continue to be complacent.”